Beet-topper.



W. B. BALDWIN.

BBET TQPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY'13. 1007.

Patented Feb. 2 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

4 sums-sum: 2. Y

XJi MM alikwnua W. B. BALDWIN.

BEET TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1907.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

4 BHEETSSHBET 3.

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Wm. eaozb W. B. BALDWIN.

BEET TOPPERQ APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1907.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

4 SHEETS -SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

' mm a. BALDWIN, or .rowLEa, conommo.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application nan Hay 18, 190v. emu No. avenue.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. BALD- WIN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Fowler, in the county of Otero, State Colorado, have invented certain new and useful lm movements in BeetToppers; and 1 do here y declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled The invention aims as a rimary object to provide a novel means. or raising the auxiliary frame so that the operative elements thereof are out of position for action on the beats.

The invention aims as a further object to provide a machine of this type embodying a novel construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, the details of which will appear in the course of the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a art of this siecifica'tion, like characters 0 reference esignating similar parts throughout the several views, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side-elevation looking at one side of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fi 3 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 4 1s a. horizontal cross section through the hubs of the wheel, show- 'ing the mechanism for throwing thetransmission elements into and out of gear with said hubs. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary lan view showing interconnected elements 0 the auxiliary frame, and by means of which the auxiliary frame as an entirety is raised. and lowered. Fig. 6 is a fragmenta side elevation of the lever for raising an lowering said auxiliary frame and showing the connecting elements to the mechanisms illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and, Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a centrally located casting and the associated parts thereof which are embodied aselcments of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2..

round roller and a cut-,

Referrin specificallyto the accom an'ying drawings, 1: 'e numeral 1 designates t e main frame which is constituted of an integral casting and is formed rearwardly thereof with sleeves 2 which serve as bearings for the main power shaft 3, the latter carrying on its rogecting ends the traction wheels 4 forms with the hubs 5. The frame 1.is of skeleton formation for the sake of lightness and has its parallel longitudinal :front and rear bars 6 constructed centrally thereof with raised seats 7 of inverted U-shape-to receive the forwardly .projectin tongue '8, the latter being held against disp acemeut by bolts9.

From the rear end of the tongue 8 is supported a resilient post 10u on the upper end of which is'mounted the riversseat 11. The auxiliary frame is, as previously noted, suspended from the frame 1 and with this object in view the sleeves 2 are formed with dependin spaced apertured lugs 12 and-13 and the ront bar '6 is formed with similar lugs 14 extending at right angles to the lugs 12 and 13. A bar 15 has its upper end pivoted between the lugs 12 by means of a olt 16, and a bar 17 has its u per end extended at an angle as at 18, an pivoted between the lugs 13 by means of a bolt 19. The bar 17 converges downwardly towards the bar 15 and is connected therewith by a bolt 20, the latter also servin as the pivot for a casting 21' to be more ully described hereinafter. A bar 22 has its up er end pivoted between the lugs 14 by a olt 23.

he bolt has its head formed with spaced lugs 24 between which the lower end of the bar 22 is received, a bolt 25 constituting a pivot therefor. The sleeve 2 which carries the lugs 12 is also provided with-upwardly extending lugs 26 between which are pivotally received the ends of bars 27 the latter projecting forwardly and conjoint'ly sup ortmg at their front ends a transverse sha 1:28, the bars 27 normally resting upon the bars of the frame 1. The shaft 28 constitutes a support for vertical bars 29 which depend pivotally therefrom and which sup ort, as will be later stated, a transverse s aft 30 the'latter-carryin between said'bars a ground roller .31 forme with spiral serrations 32, and on their pro'ecting ends sprocket wheels 33 which mriven by chains 34 from similar sprocketwheels 35 mounted upon the projecting ends of the shaft 28.

As noted the'bars' 29 de end pivotally from the shaft 28 and in suc relation are disloose upon the s aft 3, and which meshes placeabiy movable to vary the dis osition of the roller 31 with relation to t e cutting knife to be later described. The mechanism for moving the bars 29 on the shaft 28 as a pivot is constituted essentially of a lever 36 pivotally mounted upon the frame of a rack segment 37, the latter being supported upon transverse bars 38 which span and are secured to the bars 27. The lever 36 is constructed with a awl 39 to cotiperate with said segment. T e lever 36 is formed at its lower end with an angularly projecting portion 40 to which is pivoted the upper end of a link 41, the lower end of said link being pivoted by a in 42 to the depending bifurcated rear en 43 of a forwardly projecting bar 44 having its front end shaped to afford a yoke45, the lugs of which are secured to the bars 29 and are formed to surround the shaft 30 between said bars and the sprocket wheels 33. A forwardly projectin bar 46 has its rear end pivotally engage by the in 42 above referred to and ts front end ent angularly as at 47 ,and pivoted by a pin 48 to the casting 21. The ar 46 is ivotally connected as at 49, to the lower en of a vertical bar 50 which is of angular formation and which has its upper end engaged with the pivot pin 51 of the lever 36, the bar 50 having its upper end formed with a vertical line of apertures 52 whereby such en- Iga ement may be adjustable.

etween the bars 6 of the frame 1 is a rack segment frame 53 uponv which is pivotally mounted a lever 54 the latter being illustrated more particularly in Fig. 6. The

lever 54 carries a pawl 55 which cotiperates with the segment 53 and has its lower end at a distance below its pivot formed with rearwardly and forwardly projecting angular arms 56 and 57 respectively. The auxiliary frame above described is suspended by a chain, wire or other device 58 from the end of the arm 57, the lower end of the chain 58 being engaged with the bar 17.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 3 is a sprocket wheel 59 which serves by means of a chain 60 to drive a sprocket wheel 61, the latter being fast upon the shaft 28 between the bars 29. It will thus be seen that the shaft 3 drives the shaft 28 and that the latter drives the roller 31.

The frame 1 is constructed at one end thereof with an angular recess 62, within which is a bevel inlon 64, the latter being with asmaller bevel pinion on the inner end of a shaft 66, the latter bein journaled in a sleeve 67 formed integral wit 1 the frame 1 at one side thereof. The-shaft 66 carries at its outer projecting end a disk 68 which has eccentric connection by means of a gimbal joint 69'witb a pitman 70.

Referring more particularly to the construction of the casting 21 above mentioned,

came? it will be noted that "said casting is formed with a slot 71 through which is engaged the angular portion 72 of a bracket 73, the latter having connection with the deflecting board 74 of a reciprocatin cuttin knife 75 which is disposed rearwar ly of tie roller 31 and which partially underlies the same. The bracket 73 carries a socket member 76 within which is received the ball-shaped end 77 of the pitman and by means of which the knife is reciprocated laterally, the casting 21 constituting a guide for the same in such movement.

As previously noted the s rocket wheel 59 and the bevel gear 64, rom which the ground roller and cutting knife are respectively operated, are mounted loosely upon the shaft 3, but are formed to be 0)- erated from the hubs 5 in coaetion with the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4. Slidably mounted on the shaft 3 are similarly constructed sleeves 78 formed with out- =wardly projecting clutch pins 79 which are designed to be engaged through openings 80 and 80 in the respective sprocket wheel 59 and gear 64, and into similarly arranged rccesses 81 in the hubs 5. Centrally located upon the shaft 3 is a casting 82, which is held in fixed relation by a set screw 83 threaded therethrough and bearing against said shaft. The casting 82 is constructed with forwardly projecting lugs 84 to afford bearings for a short length vertical shaft 85, the latter carrving at its projecting upper and lower ends two-armed levers 86 and between the lugs 84 an arm 87 disposed at an angle to the levers 86 and connectedby a rod or wire 88 to the arm 56 of the lever 54. Rotatably mounted upon the sleeves 78 are collars 89 formed with oppositely disposed projecting lugs 90 which are connected on each side of the casting 82 with relatively opposite ends of the levers 86 by means of links 91.

In use it will be apparent that rearward movement of the lever 54 raises the auxiliary bars herein described, and through the medium of the rod or wire 88 rocks the shaft 85,.the latter by virtue of the connections described, moving the sleevcs 78 so as to disengage the pins 7 9from the sprocket wheel 59, the gear 64, and the respectively adjacent. hubs 5. The machine can now be advanced without an action of the parts, since the roller 31 and the knife 75 are raised above the ground and the driving elements therefor are out of gear with the hubs 5. Forward movement of the lever 54 effects a reverse operation as will be readily understood. The' roller 31 is geared to move at a greater speed than the wheels 4 and in such movement its serrations 32 force the tops of the beets rearwardly to the deflecting board 74, from whence they are shed between the rows for final disposition. Rearward movement of the lever 36 serves, through the medium of the connected bars 41, 44. and 46, to bring the roller 31 and the knife 75 into intimate relation, and forward movement of said lever in reverse manner moves these elements away from one another, such adjustment being made necessary by the varym conditions of growth. It is to be especia 1y noted that the lugs 12 and 13 are s aced away a considerable distance and t at the bars 15 and 17 loosely surround the bolts 16.and 19 whereby considerable play may be had when the auxiliary frame is raised in the manner before described, such play being necessary by virtue of the anguar disposition of the pivot 23 of the bar 22 with relation to the pivots 16 and 19. A

beet topper constructed in accordance with the present invention is simple in construction, comparatively inex enslve to manufacture, and 1practical and e cient in use.

From t e foregoing description it will be seen that simple and eliicient means are provided for accomplishin the objects of the invention, but while t e elements herein shown and described are well adapted to serve the functions set forth, it is obvious that various minor changes may be made in the proportions, shape and arrangement of the several parts, w1thout departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionasdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: '1. A. machine of the type set forth comprising a wheeled supporting frame a forwardly extending bar pivoted to t e rear end of said first named bar, a v beet topping said rear endand extending in convergent relation to said first named bar, a bar pivoted to said frame at one side thereof, a common pivotal connection for the adjacent ends of said bars, a casting secured to the forward end of said first named bar, a beet topping knife carried b said casting Ishlpporting sai bars in their pivotal assemage.

2. A machine of the type set forth comprising a wheeled supporting and means for frame a forwardly extending bar pivoted to the rear end of said frame, a second bar pivoted to said rear end and extending in convergent -relation to said first named bar, abar pivoted to said frame at one side thereof, a common pivotal connection for the adjacent ends of said bars, a casting secured to the forward 'end of said first named bar, a beet topping knife carried b said casting and su porting means for sai bars in their pivota assemblage including means for raising or lowering the same on their pivots to selected po-' sitions.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAM B. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

H. T. GmsoN, M. J. STONE. 

